In an unprecedented clash of football cultures, Moroccan military-backed club AS FAR will face English giants Arsenal in the Women’s Champions Cup semi-final on Wednesday at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium. This historic encounter marks the first competitive fixture between African and European women’s clubs, with the winners advancing to Sunday’s final at Emirates Stadium where a record $2.3 million prize awaits.
Founded in 1958 by the late King Hassan II and establishing women’s professional football in Morocco in 2001, Association Sportive des Forces Armees Royales (The Soldiers) has revolutionized African women’s football through unique institutional support. Unburdened by financial constraints typical of private clubs, AS FAR has dominated domestic competition, winning all but one league title since 2013, and claimed two continental championships since the African Women’s Champions League inception in 2021.
The team features numerous Moroccan internationals from the historic 2023 World Cup squad that reached knockout stages, including Annisa Lahmari (whose goal eliminated Germany), Sanaa Mssoudy (recently crowned African interclub player of the year), and dynamic winger Fatima Tagnaout.
Their progression to this global stage follows a dramatic extra-time comeback victory against Chinese club Wuhan Jiangda in the second round, demonstrating the resilience that makes them dangerous underdogs against the WSL powerhouse.
This milestone reflects Morocco’s remarkable decade-long transformation from women’s football obscurity to continental dominance. The government’s groundbreaking 2020 decision to fund all top-two division teams—providing baseline salaries for players, coaches, and medical staff—instantly professionalized the league system. The Royal Moroccan Football Federation supplements these wages, enabling top players to earn over $2,000 monthly.
National infrastructure investments include the $65 million King Mohammed VI Training Complex, described by Leicester City’s Rosella Ayane as “St George’s Park with palm trees,” featuring eight full-size pitches, Olympic pools, and five-star accommodations.
Morocco’s rise mirrors broader African progress, with South Africa and Nigeria also reaching the 2023 World Cup knockouts. The creation of the African Women’s Champions League has elevated continental club competition, with AS FAR and Mamelodi Sundowns each claiming two titles.
As former player and league president Khadija Illa reflects: “Twenty years ago, you could’ve asked: ‘Is anyone playing in Morocco?’ Now we’re the champions of Africa going to play Arsenal.” This semi-final represents both a culmination of institutional investment and a new frontier for global women’s football.